The Colorado river supplies tens of millions of people and millions of acres of farmland with water, but its supply is shrinking. Investigations by ProPublica reveal that 20 families use the majority of water consumed by farmers and more than some entire states. 

The UN warned that the world is losing 1 millions square kilometres (386,000 square miles) of agricultural land every year to sand and dust storms. At least a quarter of storms could be attributed to human activity, primarily overmining and overgrazing. 

Seaweed farming is being championed as a magic bullet for food systems and the environment, promising to capture carbon, rehabilitate ecosystems and feed the world. Recent reporting from the Guardian investigates one seaweed enterprise, the Climate Foundation, and its mission to win Elon Musk’s $100m Xprize. 

Gene drives are landscape-scale gene editing technologies that have the potential to reduce pests, crop damage, pesticide use and crop prices. One potential negative impact explored by this paper is the restriction of consumer choice affecting consumer welfare. In order to understand this impact, the paper surveyed US consumers about their preferences regarding gene drives compared with pesticide use and GM crops.

The paper provides an overview of the current and potential future uses of digital technologies in agri-food production, processing and distribution; identifying advantages, disadvantages and barriers to adoption. The paper highlights case studies of digital technology companies working to improve food safety.

This paper considers the potential for synthetically (without agricultural) produced dietary fats to reduce the impact that global diets have on the environment. The paper explores potential inputs for this process, and compares the greenhouse gas and land use emissions saving of scaling various synthetic fat production models compared with organically produced fats.

This event was hosted by TABLE on 14 November 2023 and took the format of a panel discussion with:Dr Tara Garnett (director of TABLE);Dustin Benton (Green Alliance);Dr Dhanush Dinesh (Clim-Eat);Arghanoon Karhikhtah (Food and Agriculture Organization (FAO)).

From plot to plate, this book follows food through the supply chain from the ground through farmers and producers, to the chefs and front of house who deliver it to customers at Chicago’s Wherewithall restaurant.  The book offers an engaging perspective on the multifaceted dynamics shaping the fine dining food system through a series of personal encounters with actors throughout the system.

Taras Grecoe looks into the history of agriculture, food production and consumption in order to understand how historical practices could positively shape a sustainable future food system. He argues that the future of food security, human health and biodiversity can only be reached by re-engaging with the culinary diversity of the past through radically diversifying the food of the future.